A fiber optic communication system may be comprised of three basic components: an optical transmitter, a fiber optic cable and an optical receiver. The optical transmitter may convert an electrical signal to optical signal. The optical signals may be carried by the fiber optic cable from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver. The optical receiver may convert the optical signal back to an electrical signal. Fiber optic cables have generally replaced metal communication cables due to the speed and bandwidth of data transmission over the fiber optic cable.
Optical signal carriers such as polymer waveguides, embedded fibers and the like have been embedded into Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) as a way to increase data transmission and speed within the PCB. The optical fibers or waveguides are generally embedded within or laminated on the surface of the PCB. These PCBs may be referred to as an optical PCBs even though they may still contain electrical connectors and components. The use of optical pathways may enable much higher data rates to electronic hardware coupled to or provided on that PCB.
Fiber optic connectors may be used to terminate optical fiber cables and to facilitate connection of the optical fiber cables to other optical fiber cables, other optical fiber transmission devices or to optical PCBs. A typical fiber optic connector may include a ferrule which mounts and centers an optical fiber or fibers within the connector. A ferrule holder or other housing component of the connector may be used to embrace the ferrule.
One type of fiber optic array connector system may be known as an MT style connector. MT may stand for mechanical transfer. In the MT style connector, a multi-fiber ferrule may be used in which fiber alignment is dependent on the eccentricity and pitch of the fiber and alignment pin holes. MT style connectors use a gripping mechanism to secure the multi-fiber ferrule to another device.
A fiber optic connector should retain mutual alignment of respective fiber cores in a repeatable separable interconnect. The fiber optic connector should maintain performance characteristics over multiple matings and unmatings under various environmental conditions. Unfortunately, poor fiber optic connectors may cause misalignment of the respective fiber cores. This may cause optical transmission losses within the fiber optic communication system.
Establishing connectivity between the fiber optic connector and the optical PCB has been problematic. Many MT style connectors that engage the optical PCB may not form reliable connections after repetitive use. Many MT style connectors that engage the optical PCB may allow for small gaps to form which may cause optical transmission losses. The gaps may be formed due to reliable connections after repetitive use, due to shaking and/or vibrations to the optical PCB or due to other issues.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method that overcomes the above. The system and method would create an MT style termination to a hybrid electro/optical PCB and hold it reliably to the hybrid electro/optical PCB thereby preventing small gaps to form between the MT termination and the hybrid electro/optical PCB.